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We Worship What We Value Most
Worship. This is a word we do not think about much and therefore do not tend to have a grasp on its meaning and significance, but we live it out every day. Unfortunately, our object of worship is earthly. However, I like the following definition: “Worship. The act of adoring and praising God, that is, ascribing worth to God as the one who deserves homage and service”[1] This definition reveals who the object of our worship should be. Let’s break that definition down to discover the meaning and significance of worship. Worship is the act of adoring and praising God, that is, ascribing worth to God. Worship runs throughout the…
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Change Comes Through Prayer
Have you seen a need for change in your life? Would you love to see some changes in the world around you? Would you love to teach your children how to pray effectively? I have found that prayer and reading God’s Word are the two foundational disciplines that are essential for change. To be quite honest, prayer keeps me in the Word and the Word keeps me in prayer. Prayer, sadly, can be just a passive conversation, “God bless us everyone,” as we check off all the “to do’s” on our spiritual “to do” list. This is not what God intended. Prayer is hard work and takes time and focus…
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Would You Vote for Samson?
“As you do not know the path of the wind, or how a body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things” (Ecclesiastes 11:5). We are a week out from what is certainly a consequential election. We are living in crazy and scary times. Thankfully, up to this point in our history, we have had the opportunity to vote for a new president every four years. Imagine living in times or places where people did not get that opportunity, when a king or dictator ruled for life. Our ability to vote is something for which we should thank God.…
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This is the Way, Walk in It
After twelve years of living and serving on a tropical southeast Asian island, my husband and I decided to return to the USA and transition into a new phase of ministry. I agonized over this decision for months. It consumed every prayer and conversation for I knew whatever path I chose would affect others. How thankful I am that God was my guide all those years ago (Psalm 48:14) and that he still leads me in the way I should go (Isaiah 48:17). Life has contained other big decisions like this one as well as many smaller choices such as whether to volunteer in the church nursery or teach a…
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Thankfulness As Our Purpose
As the calendar winds down on another unprecedented year, we gladly enter this joyful season of giving and thanksgiving. Many of us feel a gentle nudge toward understanding God’s call to purposeful daily life. Have you ever asked God about His will for your life?
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God What in the World Are You Up To?
Like many of you, my family had church yesterday in our pajamas. The kids got a kick out of worshiping barefoot, however it was a bit unsettling to think this may be our new normal as we “shelter in place” due to Covid-19. I’ve got about one thousand questions about this new normal: Can I survive my children for 4 weeks in our house? When did I run out of topics to discuss with my husband? How do I keep from eating all of my quarantine supplies in one day? But among the surface-level questions, there is a deeper one brewing. I can’t be alone in asking, “God what in…
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Attentiveness to God
During a particularly challenging and confusing season of life, I almost daily cried out to God, “God, is this your will for me? Did I hear you wrong? Did I walk outside your will? I’m not sure what to do. Please tell me what to do. And please make it clear.” But no matter how desperately I called out or how long I pleaded for an answer, I couldn’t hear God’s voice. In that silence, I felt alone. I’m guessing that you’ve probably been in that place too. That place of desperation where you are crying out, “God, are you there? If you are, just tell me what to do.…
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Pulled Two Ways in Prayer
Do you ever wonder how to pray about an issue? I often find myself pulled between two significantly different perspectives of how to pray. I believe in kingdom prayer which focuses our requests on the bigger issues of God’s will and his kingdom. Instead of merely asking for healing or relief from the trials, I consider the big picture of God’s purposes as revealed in the scriptures. Trials are part of the Christian life and God uses them to make us like Jesus (Rom. 8:28-29). So what do I pray for people dealing with the hard times? I ask God to give them perseverance and faith during temptation and…
